Lugo (back) received a cortisone injection Thursday and will resume throwing Sunday or Monday, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.

The Royals placed Lugo on the injured list Thursday with a lower back strain and also gave him a cortisone shot to address the injury. He'll be back to throwing after a brief shutdown. The shutdown should have minimal impact on his return timeline.

Ragans (shoulder) is expected to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Sunday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Ragans has spent the majority of the season on the IL and has been on the shelf since mid-June due to a left rotator cuff strain. He ramped up his throwing program with bullpen sessions in mid-August, and the 28-year-old southpaw has progressed enough in his recovery to embark on a rehab assignment. Royals manager Matt Quatraro relayed Friday that Ragans is scheduled to pitch two innings Sunday and could ramp up his workload barring any setbacks.

Olson (shoulder) has begun a throwing program, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Olson has already been ruled out for the regular season, but it's an encouraging sign that he's started throwing. He's been sidelined since late July due to a shoulder strain. If his recovery continues without interruption, Olson could be healthy at some point during the playoffs.

The Astros recalled Gordon from Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Gordon will start Friday's contest in Texas versus the Rangers, giving the Astros' regular rotation members some extra rest. The southpaw holds a 5.64 ERA in 68.2 innings covering 13 starts and two relief outings this season.

Barnett is slated to start Friday's game against the Angels in Anaheim.

After being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas, Barnett made his first MLB start this past Saturday, taking a loss to the Rangers while allowing five earned runs on eight hits and no walks over four innings. The 25-year-old righty will get a chance to redeem himself Friday, but another poor showing could put him at risk of losing his spot in the Athletics rotation.

The White Sox optioned Cannon to Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.

Cannon was just recalled Thursday but will head back to the minors a day later after being touched up for five runs over 2.1 innings in a bulk-relief appearance. The righty has posted a 5.67 ERA across 17 starts and three relief outings for the White Sox this season.

The Astros are expected to recall Gordon from Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Houston hasn't listed a starter for Friday's game against the Rangers, and it's possible Gordon's being called up to fill that hole. Gordon has been at Sugar Land since Aug. 13, and he posted a 5.93 ERA in three starts during that time. The 26-year-old has a 5.64 ERA in 68.2 innings with the Astros this season, starting in 13 of his 15 appearances.

The Twins activated Lopez (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Friday in Kansas City.

Lopez will rejoin the Twins after missing the last two months of action due to a Grade 2 teres major strain. The righty recorded a 14:2 K:BB over 11.1 frames in three rehab starts and tossed 5.2 scoreless innings and 82 pitches in his final outing with Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that Mahle (shoulder) "felt fine" after Tuesday's rehab outing, MLB.com reports.

Mahle was knocked around for five runs on five hits and a walk and reached his pitch limit before retiring a batter in the second inning. The Rangers had hoped Mahle could rejoin the pitching staff following the outing, but the manager is awaiting additional information before making any further determination on next steps for the right-hander.

Bradley allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings in a no-decision versus the White Sox on Thursday.

Bradley had a strong showing against the Padres in his last outing, but the White Sox still gave him trouble. His last start with the Rays also came against the Southsiders, as did his Twins debut. In those three games, he's given up 15 runs across 11.2 innings. He's had some struggles against non-playoff teams, particularly the Orioles and Marlins in addition to the White Sox, while finding success against stronger teams. Overall this year, Bradley's 4.92 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 109:49 K:BB over 126.1 innings offer tepid confidence at the best of times. It's possible he'll lose his starting role with Pablo Lopez (shoulder) returning Friday -- the last spot in the rotation is likely to come down to Bradley or Simeon Woods Richardson.